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OK, it seems that the Recovery utility is not installed by default. Since I did not use Windows at all (went straight to installing Linux) I did not realize that.

Now, I tried to install it from Windows, but it gave an error regarding writing to the MBR, as now it is taken by grub. I think I might need to install Windows bootloader in the MBR, install the recovery software, then reinstall grub (from the live CD). Or does anyone have any other ideas?

Usually, recovery partitions have their own (often DOS based) bootloader (in partition), so just chainmounting should work (also read http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Hidden_Protected_Area), however fun like HPA (host protected area) and the like might make it a little difficult.

Disclaimer: I haven't dealt with recovery partitions myself so far - and when I do encounter them, I usually blow them away (install media on external/ optical media and current drivers are imho more convenient to deal with).

ConvBSD

Post subject:Posted: 07.12.2011, 05:00

Joined: 2010-09-16
Posts: 30

Status: Offline

Hi,

An idea:
Why you won't mount the recovery partition to see what's there.
Maybe it's empty.

alexk

Post subject:Posted: 07.12.2011, 15:54

Joined: 2010-10-01
Posts: 288

Status: Offline

I can't say I have experience booting recovery partitions, either, sorry. Just based on some experience booting OS's from Grub, I can think of trying the old trick of hiding the other Windows partitions:

Usually, recovery partitions have their own (often DOS based) bootloader (in partition), so just chainmounting should work (also read http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Hidden_Protected_Area), however fun like HPA (host protected area) and the like might make it a little difficult.

Disclaimer: I haven't dealt with recovery partitions myself so far - and when I do encounter them, I usually blow them away (install media on external/ optical media and current drivers are imho more convenient to deal with).

Most systems have an option in Windows to create recovery CD/DVD's which will place all the data in the recovery partition onto the media where you can then recover systems where the disk has failed completely. I generally do that then blow all the partitions away and install Aptosid. IBM/Lenovo systems have HPA and there's most likely a setting in the BIOS to turn HPA off on such systems so that you can then utilize the whole disk